04/09/2014 - The lauded Estonian/Georgian co-production has been given the nod to vie for Best Foreign-Language Film at the Oscars

Estonia will submit Zaza Urushadze’s Tangerines [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] as its nominee for Best Foreign-Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

The film takes place in Georgia in 1992, at the height of the civil war. Two elderly farmers, far removed from the fighting, find wounded Chechen and Georgian soldiers near their land. Ivo (legendary Estonian actor Lembit Ulfsak) takes them in and soon tries to reconcile the sworn enemies now living under the same roof.

The selection was made from among Estonian full-length feature films that were first screened between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2014. This year, the Estonian Film Institute’s selection committee included Edith Sepp (head of the Institute), Tiina Lokk (head of the Black Nights Film Festival), Anneli Ahven (film producer), Tanel Toom (Oscar-nominated Estonian film director) and Jaan Ruus (film critic).

The movie has already won many plaudits, including Film of the Year from the Estonian Association of Film Journalists and numerous festival awards, such as Best Estonian Film and the FICC Jury Special Prize at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, as well as the Special Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival. It has participated in 18 international film festivals, including Warsaw, Tbilisi, Cottbus, Seattle and Palm Springs.

The deadline for submitting films for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film is 1 October. The five nominees selected by the Academy will be announced on 15 January by the selection committee; then, the active and distinguished members of the Academy who have seen all five nominees will cast their vote. The award ceremony will take place on 22 February 2015.